Holness says Jamaica must modernise electricity sector as Sutherland opens solar project

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said Jamaica must move faster to overhaul its electricity sector, as Sutherland Global marked the opening of a solar energy project aimed at cutting power costs and improving the competitiveness of its local operations.

Speaking at the event, Holness described Sutherland Global as one of the country’s major private-sector employers and a significant player in the business process outsourcing industry. He said the company accounts for just over 10 per cent of employment in the BPO sector, which he called a foundation industry and one of Jamaica’s largest foreign exchange earners.

Holness said the BPO sector had shown resilience through COVID-19, global disruption, energy pressures and the rise of artificial intelligence. He added that concerns raised by the sector were being considered by the Government, with support measures expected.

The Prime Minister said Sutherland’s investment in solar was more than an internal business decision, arguing that it reflected a wider shift in the economics of electricity. He said Jamaica’s long-standing reliance on imported fuel has kept power costs among the highest in the world, with the JPS fuel rate alone reaching $33 per kilowatt hour in March 2026 before other bill charges were added.

Holness warned that if large customers reduce their use of the grid without a planned transition, fixed costs for poles, substations, transmission lines and hurricane restoration could be passed on to households, pensioners, small shops, farmers and community facilities that cannot afford their own solar systems.

He said the Government must therefore modernise the grid, the electricity licence, tariffs and operating rules while welcoming solar, self-generation and innovation. Holness pointed to large renewable energy projects in India and the United Arab Emirates as examples of how solar power is now being used at scale to produce cheaper electricity.

He said Jamaica should not miss the global energy shift and must plan for future industries, including data centres and greater value from bauxite. The ceremony also included a blessing by Reverend Dr Devon Dick and a vote of thanks by Sutherland senior vice-president Anil Joseph before a ribbon-cutting exercise.